2026-27 Schedule Release

Complete 2026-27 NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster: Key games announced

The full 2026-27 NBA schedule is revealed with key games on ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock and Prime.

Brian Martin, for NBA.com

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• Complete schedule: 2026-27 NBA season

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the New York Knicks will raise an NBA championship banner to the rafters of Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1973 as part of a tripleheader to tip off the season on NBC and Peacock.

The 2026-27 NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster started on Tuesday morning with marquee early-season games announced on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS Mornings.

On Wednesday, the full Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Group Play schedule was announced. The fourth-annual in-season competition tips off on Oct. 30 with the first of five straight Friday Group Play doubleheaders on Prime Video. Of the 60 total Group Play games, 15 will be broadcast across Prime Video, NBC and ESPN, including a Thanksgiving Eve tripleheader on ESPN before concluding with a Black Friday doubleheader on Prime Video.

The 41st edition of the NBA on MLK Day schedule was also announced on Wednesday, headlined by four star-studded matchups broadcast on NBC & Peacock with basketball serving as a platform to honor the life, leadership and lasting impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while spotlighting the values of equality, unity and justice.

The remainder of the 2026-27 NBA schedule was announced on Thursday, with 80 of the 82 games for each team having been revealed. The remaining two games will be determined based on Group Play results in the Emirates NBA Cup.

Here’s a recap of the matchups announced throughout the 2026-27 NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster.

Tuesday, Oct. 20: Can’t-miss season-opening tripleheader on NBC/Peacock

• Boston at Detroit (3 p.m. ET): After finishing 1-2 in the East standings during the regular season, neither the Pistons (60-22) nor Celtics (56-26) reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Both teams shook up their rosters in the offseason as they look to make another run in a deep Eastern Conference.

• Philadelphia at New York (7 p.m. ET): The Knicks will celebrate the 2025-26 NBA title before welcoming the new-look 76ers to The Garden as this longtime rivalry begins a new chapter. Philly added 2024 champion and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown from Boston along with four-time MVP, four-time champ, four-time Finals MVP and 22-time All-Star LeBron James as he begins his record-extending 24th season.

• Oklahoma City at San Antonio (9:30 p.m. ET): In addition to finishing 1-2 in the West standings during the regular season, the Thunder and Spurs met in the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals (a two-point Spurs win) and the Western Conference Finals (a 4-3 Spurs win). Between the regular season, NBA Cup and playoffs, these teams delivered 12 must-see matchups last season. This will be their first in 2026-27.

In addition to a stacked Opening Night slate, a pair of Opening Week ESPN doubleheaders were also announced on Tuesday morning, featuring star players in new cities and the winners of the last nine Kia NBA MVP awards.

Wednesday, Oct. 21: Opening Week doubleheader on ESPN

• Minnesota at Miami (7:30 p.m. ET): This game features two of the biggest names to change teams in the offseason, with Giannis Antetokounmpo making his Heat debut as Miami hosts Minnesota and new Timberwolves point guard LaMelo Ball.

• Golden State at Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET): Only two players averaged at least four 3-pointers made per game last season — Steph Curry (4.4) and Luka Dončić (4.0). These two sharpshooters open the season against one another in an all-California clash.

Thursday, Oct. 22: Opening Week doubleheader on ESPN

• Cleveland at Philadelphia (7 p.m. ET): When making his “last decision” in free agency, James considered signing with Cleveland and returning to where his NBA career began and won a title in 2016. However, in the end he chose to join the Sixers and will make his home debut in Philadelphia against the franchise where he spent 11 of his first 23 seasons. This also marks the home debut for Brown and Philly’s first in-person look at its new squad.

• Denver at Oklahoma City (9:30 p.m. ET): The winners of five of the last six Kia NBA MVPs will face off for the first time this season as reigning two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2025, 2026) and the Thunder host three-time MVP Nikola Jokić (2021, 2022, 2024) and the Nuggets. In addition to the MVP matchup, these teams have recent playoff history, with OKC defeating Denver in seven games in the 2025 West Semis.

Prime Video opens its second season of NBA coverage with a Friday doubleheader during Opening Week featuring a pair of classic rivalries.

Friday, Oct. 23: Opening Week doubleheader on Prime Video

• New York at Boston (7 p.m. ET): No two teams have faced each other more in the regular season than the Knicks and Celtics, with over 500 head-to-head matchups dating back to Dec. 7, 1946. Add in 15 playoff series, most recently in the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals, which the Knicks won in six games and saw Boston’s Jayson Tatum suffer an Achilles tear. With Tatum healthy, how will the Celtics match up with the defending champs? 

• Houston at San Antonio (9:30 p.m. ET) in Austin: It’s a Texas-sized showdown as Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs host Kevin Durant and the Rockets in the nightcap. This neutral site match-up will take place in the city where Durant played college hoops for the University of Texas for a season 20 years ago in 2006-07. The Spurs won the season series 3-1 in 2025-26 after the Rockets had owned the previous two seasons with a 6-2 edge in head-to-head meetings. In 11 career games against Houston, Wembanyama has averaged just 19.1 points per game — his second-lowest average against any opponent. Will that trend continue, or is Wemby due for a breakout game against an in-state rival?

The Emirates NBA Cup 2026 tips off on Oct. 30 with the first of five straight Friday Group Play doubleheaders on Prime Video. Of the 60 total Group Play games, 15 will be broadcast across Prime Video, NBC and ESPN before concluding with a Black Friday doubleheader on Prime. The full Group Play schedule, which concludes on Nov. 27, is available here. 

Friday, Oct. 30: Emirates NBA Cup Group Play opening doubleheader on Prime

The fourth-annual in-season competition begins with the reigning NBA Cup and NBA champion New York Knicks visiting LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers in a rematch of their season-opening matchup on Oct. 20. In the second half of the doubleheader, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves lead the Lakers into the Bay Area to take on Steph Curry, Draymond Green and the Warriors for the second time in the early season.

• New York at Philadelphia (East Group B): 7:30 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State (West Group C): 10 p.m. ET

Wednesday, Nov. 25: Thanksgiving Eve tripleheader on ESPN

Many of the biggest names to change teams in the offseason — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant — highlight a Thanksgiving Eve feast on ESPN with a tripleheader of Emirates NBA Cup action.

• Miami at Philadelphia (East Group B): 5 p.m. ET
• Minnesota at Oklahoma City (West Group B): 7:30 p.m. ET
• San Antonio at Portland (West Group C): 10 p.m. ET

Friday, Nov. 27: Group Play finale doubleheader on Prime

The Group Play phase of the tournament closes with a Black Friday doubleheader on Prime Video featuring each of last year’s NBA Cup finalists at home. The action begins with Antetokounmpo leading the Heat into Madison Square Garden to face reigning NBA Cup and NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and the Knicks.

Finally, Dončić leads the Lakers into San Antonio to take on Wembanyama and the Spurs, who are still seeking their first Emirates NBA Cup after finishing as runners-up a year ago.

• Miami at New York (East Group B): 7 p.m. ET
• Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio (West Group C): 9:30 p.m. ET

Friday, Dec. 4 to Friday, Dec. 11: Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds

Following Group Play, the Quarterfinals (Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5) and Semifinals (Tuesday, Dec. 8 and/or Wednesday, Dec. 9) will take place in NBA team markets before the tournament concludes with the Emirates NBA Cup Championship on Friday, Dec. 11 at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The holiday tradition of NBA basketball on Christmas Day continues with an action-packed five-game slate across ABC and ESPN.

This marks the 79th edition of the NBA on Christmas Day, which dates back to 1947 in the league’s second season, and the 19th straight year featuring five games and many of the league’s brightest stars.

Friday, Dec. 25: NBA on Christmas Day on ABC/ESPN

• San Antonio at New York (12 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN): What better way to tip off the holiday than with a rematch of the epic 2026 NBA Finals between Jalen Brunson’s Knicks and Wembanyama’s Spurs. The last time these two met at Madison Square Garden on June 10, OG Anunoby delivered a series-altering tip-in to cap off a historic Knicks comeback in Game 4 of the Finals — a shot that will be forever remembered in New York lore.

• Miami at Boston (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN): While some of the player names have changed, this long-time rivalry between the Heat and Celtics continues to burn bright. These franchises have already clashed four times in the playoffs in the 2020s. However, Boston has had the better of the recent regular-season matchups, winning 10 of the last 11 matchups over the last three seasons.

• Philadelphia at Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN): After spending eight seasons in Los Angeles, James returns to L.A. for the first time since leaving the Lakers to join the Sixers in free agency. This matchup also presents a chance at history. After becoming the first father-son duo to share the court together as teammates with L.A., LeBron and Bronny James can also be the first father and son to face each other in an NBA game.

• Oklahoma City at Minnesota (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN): Ball makes his NBA on Christmas Day debut as he, Anthony Edwards and the new-look Wolves host Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. These teams split their season series 2-2 in 2025-26 after OKC had eliminated Minnesota 4-1 in the 2025 Western Conference Finals.

• Denver at Golden State (10:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN): The Christmas Day slate concludes with a matchup of two game-changers in NBA history. Curry ushered in the league’s 3-point revolution with his otherworldly deep shooting ability. Jokić redefined how a center can impact the game, becoming only the third player — and only non-guard — to average a triple-double in a season.

The New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs will play regular-season games at the Accor Arena in Paris, France, on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027, and at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2027, as part of the league’s multiyear slate of regular-season games in Europe.

Thursday, Jan. 14: NBA Paris Game 2027 on Prime

The NBA Paris Game 2027 presented by Tissot will mark the 16th game featuring an NBA team in France since 1991 and the league’s sixth regular-season game in Paris. French superstar Victor Wembanyama will lead the Spurs in his native country against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.

Sunday, Jan. 17: NBA Manchester Game 2027 on Prime

The NBA Manchester Game 2027 will mark the 20th game featuring an NBA team in England since 1993, the league’s second game in Manchester and first regular-season game in the city.

The 41st edition of the NBA on MLK Day will take place on Monday, Jan. 18, 2027. Star-studded games will be played across the league, including four broadcast on NBC/Peacock, with basketball serving as a platform to honor the life, leadership and lasting impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while spotlighting the values of equality, unity and justice.

Monday, Jan. 18: Four-game MLK Day slate on NBC & Peacock

The schedule tips off at noon ET with four marquee games across NBC and Peacock. The last two teams to finish as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference — the Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18) in 2024-25 and the Detroit Pistons (60-22) in 2025-26 — open the MLK Day slate in Cleveland with the first of three games on NBC.

Dr. King’s hometown of Atlanta hosted the first NBA on MLK Day game in 1986, and the tradition continues in 2027, as the Hawks take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the second game. The final NBC game sees the defending champion New York Knicks host the new-look Minnesota Timberwolves on one of the game’s brightest stages: Madison Square Garden.

The final game of the national TV schedule on MLK Day features the Memphis Grizzlies hosting their 24th MLK Day game, taking on the Houston Rockets in the latest edition of their annual tradition.

Monday, Feb. 15: Four Presidents’ Day games on NBC, NBCSN & Peacock

NBC Sports will broadcast the first-ever NBA Presidents’ Day quadrupleheader on Monday, Feb. 15. The action starts on NBC and Peacock in Charlotte as Kon Knueppel and the Hornets host Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and the Minnesota Timberwolves at 12 p.m. ET. Reigning Kia Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks then host LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs head to South Beach to face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat at 5 p.m. ET in the final game on NBC & Peacock. To close out the quadrupleheader, Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers take on Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in California on Peacock & NBC Sports at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Classic and budding rivalries between teams and players will take center stage for the fifth annual AWS NBA Rivals Week from Tuesday, Jan. 26 through Saturday, Jan. 30. Rivalries will be the focus of 12 national games over five days across NBC/Peacock, ESPN, Prime Video and ABC.

Tuesday, Jan. 26: AWS NBA Rivals Week takes center stage

AWS NBA Rivals Week tips off on Tuesday, Jan. 26 with a doubleheader on NBC & Peacock as Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, followed by a rematch of last year’s Western Conference semifinals when reigning Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder take on Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA Rivals Week action continues throughout the final week of January with key games on ESPN and Prime, and culminates in a quadrupleheader on ABC on Saturday, Jan. 30. LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers tip things off against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat. Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets then travel to Oklahoma City to face Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in a matchup between multi-time MVP winners. Wembanyama and the Spurs take on Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the penultimate matchup of the quadrupleheader, and the reigning champion New York Knicks wrap things up against the Lakers in the nightcap.

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